Gillibrand Does Pari$, Too

The day after fund-raising in London while vacationing abroad, U.S. Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand did a similar event inÂ Paris, a RepublicanÂ Web site reports today.Â

Gillibrand spokeswoman Rachel McEneny said that between the London and Paris events, the congresswoman raised about $20,000. As with the London fund-raiser, she said, passports were checked to make sure no foreigners made contributions.

MajorityAP also takes issue with statementsGillibrand made at the speaking event at a private home, organized by Democrats Abroad. She talked about how the Democratic Congress wants a timeline on withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, and called the Israeli-Palestinian conflict “polarizing” andÂ said “Congress has a long way to go on Israel and Sudan.”

The GOP site’s writer, Mike Brady, formerÂ chief of staff and spokesman for U.S. Rep. Tom Reynolds and a one-time state Assembly staffer, faults Gillibrand for “criticizing” U.S. foreign policy, saying it’s understood that members of Congress don’t fault this nation’s policies when they’re abroad.

McEneny said the congresswoman was asked questions and was open in her answers, and had no apologies. She also fired back at Brady: “This from the individual who was covering up the Foley (Congressional page) scandal?”

Reynolds, R-Clarence, was among those embroiled in the scandal over former Rep. Mark Foley’s sexual come-ons on to teenage pages. Reynolds said he was told about “overly friendly” messages from Foley to a teen and passed the information on to House Speaker Dennis Hastert. The House ethics committee in December cleared Reynolds of wrongdoing in the scandal.

Brady said McEneny’s was “absolutely, totally, one hundred percent wrong” in accusing him of having anything to do with the Foley matter, and noted that his name never appeared in the House ethics report.